Bye-Election: Okpebholo Backs APC Candidates, Predicts Victory in Edo

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has expressed strong confidence in the ability of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure victory in the forthcoming by-elections scheduled to hold in the state on August 16. The governor, who recently received a wave of defectors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the APC remains the preferred choice for Edo people and that the candidates put forward by the party are well-grounded in the grassroots.

Speaking in his hometown of Okada, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Okpebholo underscored the party’s readiness for the elections and the increasing support it has been garnering across Edo State. He used the occasion to reaffirm his own roots in the state, emphasizing that his leadership stems from a deep connection with the people.

“I am a confirmed son of the soil. My mother is Esan, my father is Esan, and I grew up here. We are working for Edo people because we understand their needs and challenges,” he said.

The APC has fielded Hon. Joseph Ikpea as its candidate for the Edo Central Senatorial District and Hon. Omosede Igbinedion for the Ovia Federal Constituency. Governor Okpebholo described both candidates as experienced, competent, and capable of representing the interests of their constituencies with integrity.

In addition to the endorsement of the APC’s flagbearers, the governor noted that the party has continued to grow stronger, especially with new members joining from rival parties. The defections, he said, are clear indicators of the diminishing influence of the PDP and rising trust in the APC-led administration.

The governor also reiterated the party’s ambition to deliver 2.5 million votes to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, saying the work has already begun and that the by-elections would serve as an important test of the APC’s current political strength in Edo.

Meanwhile, prominent APC leaders have also thrown their weight behind the party’s candidates. Sir Glory Oziegbe Momodu, a key figure in Edo Central who had earlier contested for the senatorial ticket, has pledged full support to both Governor Okpebholo and Hon. Joseph Ikpea, describing the party’s victory as inevitable.

Political analysts say the by-elections will serve as a litmus test for the Okpebholo administration’s influence and the APC’s hold in Edo, especially ahead of the 2027 election cycle. As campaigns intensify, the state’s political landscape continues to shift, with observers watching closely how events unfold in the coming weeks.